Garryduff Ring-Fort

The Garryduff Fort is a small circular structure with a single rampart – internal diameter 75 ft. This Fort was excavated in 1945 by Michael J. O’Reilly M.A., Curator of the Cork Public Museum with the permission of the land owner William O’Mahony. The Fort is believed to be pre 6th Century.

Among the items found was a Bronze Brooch. The visible parts are decorated with a series of cross punch marks.

The outstanding find was a small gold ornament in the shape of a bird possibly a wren. Its body bears a beautiful pattern of scroll-work in beaded gold. The dimensions of the bird are extremely small – 6 inches from beak to tail – and this makes one marvel at the high level of technical skill of the craftsmen.

The finds including the “Gold Wren” have been placed in the Cork Public Museum.